Joshua Goyette, who assaulted multiple elderly women in the Saxonburg area, appeared in court Monday to ask a judge to throw out an attempted homicide conviction.

Goyette, 27, pleaded guilty to numerous charges in relation to four cases, including two sexual assaults on elderly women.

But he took the attempted homicide case to a jury trial in February.

The jury convicted Goyette of the savage beating of 88-year-old Gertrude "Trudy" Johanson.

Johanson had been sleeping in her first-floor apartment in the spring of 2005, when Goyette broke in and beat her head and hands with Johanson's own crystal candlestick.

Goyette's defense attorney Rebecca Lozzi now is arguing that Johanson's injuries were not life threatening and therefore a jury should not have convicted her client of attempted homicide. Lozzi cited the opinion of a doctor who testified during Goyette's trial to support her position.

But District Attorney Randa Clark cited the testimony of the same doctor in arguing that the injuries had been life threatening and the damage to Johanson's hearing and fingers is permanent.

Johanson was struck so hard that one of her fingers was smashed, another was nearly severed and her hand was broken. She suffered nerve and hearing damage.

Butler County Judge George Hancher, who presided over Goyette's trial, said he will later rule on the defendant's request.

Lozzi is asking Butler County Judge George Hancher, who presided over the trial, to acquit her client of the attempted homicide charge only.

The jury also convicted him of aggravated assault and criminal mischief.

Goyette pleaded guilty to numerous crimes, ranging from theft to indecent assault, in relation to the four other cases.

Goyette, who is serving a 26- to 56-year prison sentence, said nothing during the hearing, which lasted only minutes.